wrote in message
...
I am a long term lurker and have a question regarding landing tailwheel
airplanes in a crosswind. I have about 250 hours in a Piper PA-12 Super
Cruiser. The other day during a very routine crosswind landing I
started heading for the weeds faster than I new what to do.

[...]
In talking to my mechanic as soon as I touched down (I was sure there
was a mechanical problem), he figured that with all of the right rudder
needed to keep things straight, that my tailwheel just sent me to the
right once it touched down.

My question is, what was really going on here? Should my tailwheel
have released (castored) when I touched down? Your thoughts are greatly
appreciated.

Thanks.

Tom

I had that happen to me recently in a Taylorcraft and thankfully I straddled
the runway lights and had enough width on the runway to get her tracking
straight again. It must have been a gust or windshear, only thing I can
figure. Maule tailwheel will break free and swivel when it takes a
notion, but it has always behaved when planted on the runway at landing
time. It doesn't lock per se but does have something of a detent. I had
the wing down into the crosswind just like the seagulls do, but somehow as
soon as we touched down the wind turned us. It was the closest thing to a
ground-loop I ever had. If I had it to do over again I would have done a
wheel landing, or a go-around.